FOI 402013
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 402013
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 14th April 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
- How many children (under 18) have been charged with possession of an offensive weapon in the last year?
- How many children were charged with possession of an offensive weapon on school premises in the last year?
- What is the age of the youngest child caught with an offensive weapon in your patch in the last year?
- How many children (under 18) were charged with possession of an offensive weapon in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025?
Reply
West Mercia police hold the requested information.
- How many children (under 18) have been charged with possession of an offensive weapon in the last year?
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Number of crimes recorded between 01/04/2024 & 31/03/2025 which have an outcome of Type 1 or Type 1a which have a suspect linked to them who was aged under 18 at the time the offence was created. |
13 |
|
|
Caveat: Only one outcome can be attached to an investigation, in cases where there are multiple suspects linked some of whom have different outcome, ie NFA, Caution etc the investigation will be closed with the highest outcome. The data provided is for the number of crimes which have an outcome of Type 1 (charged with offence) and Type 1a (charged with alternative offence) where at least one suspect under the of 18 has been linked, this is not necessarily the number of persons under 18 who have been charged as the outcome may related to an older suspect, or there maybe more than 1 suspect aged under 18 who was charged.
- How many children were charged with possession of an offensive weapon on school premises in the last year?
- Zero
- What is the age of the youngest child caught with an offensive weapon in your patch in the last year?
- Age of youngest suspect linked to any possession of offensive weapon crimes between 01/04/2024 & 31/03/2025 regardless of the outcome of the investigation is 8
- How many children (under 18) were charged with possession of an offensive weapon in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025?
|
Number of suspects aged under 18 who have been linked to a Possession of Weapon offence which has an outcome or Type 1 or Type 1a |
Calendar Year |
01/01/2025-31/03/2025 |
Grand Total |
|||
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|||
|
27 |
32 |
29 |
19 |
2 |
109 |
|
Caveat: Please see caveat regarding question 1 regarding the outcomes being recorded against investigation. The above table is the number of suspects aged under 18 linked to an investigation which has an outcome suggesting a person has been charged. Due to the way our system records data this is not necessarily the number of persons aged under 18 who have been charged.